Regrettable Envy
by LE McMurray
Summary: Why does Daniel not like me much?


Author's Notes:- Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.

* * *

Cassie sat in her new room surrounded by all the things that Janet and the others had bought for her. She liked this new world but she really missed her mother and her friends.

"Cassie, honey," Janet called up to her, "Dinner is almost ready."

"I'll be right down," she called back.

Looking at the place that was now her room she pushed her hair out of her eyes and walked down to the kitchen.

Janet smiled watching Cassie try to decide whether she liked the food or not. The little girl seemed to be adjusting to her new home quite well.

"Sam will be here pretty soon," Janet told her, "I think she's bringing chocolate cake."

Cassie looked up from playing with her rice with a grin, "I like chocolate."

"Don't I know it," Janet laughed, "By the way Daniel supposedly has a stash of candy somewhere in his office."

"I'll look next time I'm there," Cassie nodded before she frowned, "Janet, why does Daniel not like me much?"

"Where did you get that idea?" Janet asked confused.

Cassie shrugged, "He seems to avoid me."

"Daniel likes you," Janet assured her, "He just has a lot on his mind."

Cassie nodded, "I understand."

* * *

"Hi Doctor Fraiser, sorry Janet," Daniel said as she appeared at his office door before looking worried, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Janet told him, "Well…nothing with your health."

"That makes a change," Daniel gave her a half-smile, "So, what is wrong?"

"It's Cassie," Janet told him.

"Is she settling in okay?"

Janet took the spare seat and shrugged, "She seems to be but last night at dinner we were talking and…"

"And?"

"She seems to think you don't like her," Janet watched him look surprised.

"Oh," Daniel said, "Em, why does she think that?"

"She said you avoid her," Janet tilted her head to try and look in his eyes, "Which you do, a little."

Daniel kept his eyes on the statue in front of him.

"Daniel?"

Daniel licked his lips nervously, "It's kind of a harsh reminder," he finally said, "Janet, I'll talk to her. I'll pick her up from school this afternoon."

"Thank you," Janet squeezed his shoulder leaving him.

x

Cassie was waiting for Janet to come pick her up surprised when Daniel appeared.

"Hi," he smiled at her.

"Daniel?"

"Are you coming or not?" Daniel asked, "Janet's working late so I said I'd come and pick you up. If you want we can get some takeout?"

"Sure," Cassie said climbing into the passenger seat.

Daniel noticed how quiet Cassie was as he drove them to get food then back to Janet's house.

"You get the plates and I'll sort this out," he told her.

Quickly they both had their food and sat in the living room with the television on.

"Janet said you think I don't like you," Daniel decided to forget subtlety.

"You seemed to avoid me when we were having the party for me moving in here," Cassie said.

"Ah," Daniel sighed, "There was a very good reason for that and it has nothing to do with you."

"What was it?" she asked.

"To be honest with you Cassie," Daniel said softly, "I was jealous."

A confused frown creased the girl's brow, "Of what?"

"Of you honey," Daniel told her.

"Me? Why?"

Daniel let out a long sigh, "When I was a kid, a little younger than you my parents died."

"I'm sorry," Cassie told him, "Who looked after you? Did you get someone like Janet?"

"Actually no," he explained, "When they died I went to an orphanage for a while. Then I was fostered by a family for a while before going back then fostered a few more times."

"Why didn't you stay with one of the families?" Cassie asked him.

"Because they didn't want me," Daniel told her seeing a horrified look cover the girl's face, "I never had a family until I went to Abydos and Sha're's family took me in."

"That's not fair," Cassie cried before frowning, "So you were sad I got a family?"

"No Cassie," he whispered achingly, "You remind me so much of me. We both lost our families in a horrible way and we both ended up in a world we knew nothing about."

"But you're from Earth," Cassie looked at him confused.

"Yes but I grew up in Egypt," Daniel explained, "I only arrived in America a few weeks before the accident and I didn't speak English very well. So I was just as much of an alien as you are."

"What happened to your parents?" Cassie asked before realising she probably shouldn't have, "If you don't mind me asking."

"It's okay," Daniel replied, "They were building a structure in the museum, it was heavy and the chain holding the roof snapped bringing it down on them."

"Were you there?"

Daniel nodded, "Yes, I didn't speak for about three months after it. As hard as that might be to believe."

Cassie put down her plate, moved over to him and hugged him, "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Daniel told her, "Cassie, I'm sorry I made you feel like I didn't like you but I had to work out a few issues."

They sat in silence eating for a while until Cassie spoke up again.

"What would happen to me if Janet decided she didn't want me to stay with her anymore?"

"Cassie, I didn't mean to upset you," Daniel told her taking her hands, "Listen to me. Janet is not going to decide she doesn't want you, she loves you and you have a home here."

"But if…"

"Cassie," Daniel cut her off, "Even if Janet suddenly said she didn't want you to live with her anymore, which she never will, I wouldn't let them push you around like I was. I would take you to stay with me before I let that happen."

"What would your wife say?" Cassie asked.

Daniel gave a smile thinking about what his wife would say, "She'd be thrilled to have a daughter like you."

A grin appeared on the girl's face and she hugged him tightly again, "Thank you."

"I brought chocolate cake for desert," he told her, "Let's eat as much as we can before Janet gets home and gives us into trouble."

Cassie grinned at him and they sat together in companionable silence watching TV until Janet came home.


End file.
